City to enter negotiations with tribes for Hollering Place

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COOS BAY, Ore. -- After requesting proposals to better develop the Hollering Place, the city received two.

Now, the Urban Renewal agency has decided to enter into negotiations with the Confederated Tribes, to turn the vacant lot into a bustling village.

The tribes plan is to build the village at Hollering Place, complete with a 60 room lodge, fine dining, retail shops and a cultural exhibit.

Phil Brubaker, the CEO of Blue Earth Services and Tech., says the hotel won't be a shoddy one. "We are striving for a proprietary rating that involves the number four, and I'll let it go with that for people who are familiar with the hotel industry," he said.

One concern is that the hotel would block views from town.

Brubaker says that shouldn't be a problem with the plan. "We're actually going to enhance the views with a pedestrian promenade on the roof of our hotel building."

Brubaker says they hope this project will be a catalyst for the redevelopment of the Empire District. "To encourage other businesses, other local owners to reinvest money in it on the strength of what's going on here," he said. "We have great hopes that that's the role the village at Hollering Place will play for the greater Empire area."

Now that the Confederated Tribes have been chosen, the next step in the process is to enter a 120 day negotiation period with the city.